In-situ synthesis and growth mechanism of silicon nitride nanowires on carbon fiber fabrics

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) nanowires were in-situ fabricated on carbon fiber fabrics up to 5 cm×11 cm in area via catalyst-assisted pyrolysis of polymeric precursors. The obtained products were randomly oriented around the carbon fibers with the diameter of 30-150 nm and the length of several hundred micrometers. The effects of process parameters including the preparation temperature, flow rate of nitrogen, catalyst proportion, and volume fraction of acetone on the synthesis of Si3N4 nanowires were discussed. Accordingly, a set of optimized process parameters was determined. The microstructure of the nanowires indicated that their formation obeyed a solid-liquid-gas-solid (SLGS) growth mechanism.